Caisson.



j T k all whom t may concern: Y 1 Be'it known that l, JAMES C.'

JAMES c. NEEM, OE BEcOK-LYN, NEW YOEK, Ass-IGNOE OE ONE-HALE vTo FREDERICK E.

ORANEOEIL` OE BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.`

CAISSON." Y f 1 MEEM, a citizen yof the United States, residing 4 at Brooklyn", in the count-yjof KingsandfSta'te ot New York, have inventedcertain'new and useful vImprovements in Caissons, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact speci- This invention relates tocaissons, andh'as particular reference tof improvements s in what are `commonly knownQas airless, cais- "sonsor shieldswhereby it` isl desired toexcavate :below therground water level without th'euseof compressed air for jholdingbackf the water. -Such caissons are useful-for un# derpinning j buildings, foundations, piers,

i "'etc. The caisson 'of this invention is capable I of being driven in a downward or forward direction as the excavation proceeds, and permits'the excavated material to be 1re-f moved through the top.` `Thel sidesof4 the tcaisson of this invention :are made inthe l form'of interlocking sheet piles which slide. oneon the other and' can lbe driven from their upper 'or 'rear ends, while within the sheet piling and slid'ably 'attached theretofls an ,adjustable top *through which the materialis passed asit'isexcavat'ed '{For work'- l s y s u l pipe creasing, which extends down through? the center fof the 4sliding conical" top and: is!" ing in dryor solid `material Hwhere there are noV quicksands,v or' similar" materials subject rto' now', lthe*excavationproceeds in the usualE way,but1if quicksand,'etc., is likely to flow i ting out soft material, while more solid mav' terial can be removed through thedoo'r's. y"16 a suddenly into the'caisson :or sh ield,-t'he4 top has doors capableof being quickly' closed.

Thesoft lowable material may then be rethe movement of the top.

movedifrom b'elowithe top, through a pipe.

'K"'Thus," theboiling of 'the' material into the caisson vcan be Vquickly checked beforeV itv has proceededfarjenough to cause a general subsidence of the'earth surrounding the caisson,` andpossible collapse ofbuildings thereon,

" and the material can be removed throughthe ing sharpened edges' 2 and preferably sheathed as at 3, having enlarged upper ends 4 which are driven by a hammer or pile driver as the excavation proceeds. As shown in Fig. 2, the sheathing 3 may be also interlocked, so that external pressure is resistedfand also tightness oflthe j'oints'main-fV i Specification of Letters Patent. 1 'PatentedNOn 13,` 's A ,appnanmiinea Otobje'i', 1ere.'I sevi'a11N6J1'2ae5'9; Y 'f I" tained.y v`llliefsheathing 3 extends bacl'rwaid" beyond'the` ends of the piling so as to form atail 12 which Overlapsthe lining o rlag.- ging 5, or the permanent structure in case of a; vertical tunnel. 1

"6o-7 TheV vlattn-ir is set'fas thei` sides: are jdriven fforwajrd. liounted interi' j.A l

nally within the sidesfl'i's atopor lfull'zhead"` forming a closure and consisting 'of' 'acylinv dri'calcrfguiding portion 6 slidingonr'the p1l1ng',"and,ajconical top portionV 7'."` The sliding movementis limitedV Sl'ts Sand I f Y pins 9 on lthe piling. 10 areadjusting boltsvv` carried by the adjustable Vguiding portion .6, and capable of being contracted or expanded to insure'a tight sliding'fit. "l1-'11 are' doors formed in the conical cover, which drop open by `gravityin avertical caisson and close automatically when the materialfl from-outside boils up within thecaisson body. In a horizontalV` caisson v4orshield, the doors will be normally fopen and closed by the material boiling in, if the men 'failj to close them when they leave; "The upper 'end f i of the vconical top is` provided with an"fexf ternal reinforced driving shoulder 13, which* 1s driven by a gravity operated hammer 14,

fso

as the excavation proceeds. f 15 is a central 'i `In case of `boiling of material up into 'L the caisson, it will be stopped at the'top the closingk of the doorsl 1-1, the pipe 15 being already closed.V Of course-the menwillI notice the material commence to boilv in andV will have time to escape through-'the doors,

the doors closing automatically after them -V might be pushedbackl'to'the limito-its reciprocating movement, but would' then'be stopped by the top striking `the enlarged 'portions 4 of the sheet piling'.c Vhilethe doorsremain closed, the material which has boiled into the caisson can be pumped out or otherwise removed, while the sides are driven downward to rm material, and then f the men can reenter and excavate in the usual manner. Also, a jet can be used to clear out the material. The caisson can be used without the top and will be found very advantageous owing to its strength and tightness. Also, a continuous cylindrical shield can be used with the slidable top. It will be understood that as the sides are driven forward, the extended interlocking portion of the sheathing acts as a tail and bears on the previously completed section of the tunnel or pit, and the next section of the tunnel can then loe placed in the space left by the piles. If used for erecting piers or foundations, or underpinning, the entire space can be lled up with the permanent structure, and the caisson can either be left in the ground or withdrawn. If withdrawn, the space can be filled up with grout or other filling.

Various modifications and changes may be made in the specific construction herein described without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I declare as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:-

l. A caisson comprising a tubular driving portion composed of interlocking sheet piling, a top sliding therein, and interlocking sheathing constituting a tail extending rearwardly of said driving portion.

2. A caisson comprising a segmental driving portion, a top slidable therein on the segmental driving portion, and a pipe passing through said top for permitting removal of material.

3. A caisson comprising a driving portion, a top slidable therein and having a door for the removal of material, and a normally closed pipe passing through said top for removing fluid material independently of said door.

el. A caisson comprising a driving portion, a top slidable therein, and having a normally open self-closing door for the removal of material, and a pipe passing through said top for removing fluid material independently of said door.

5. A caisson comprising a driving portion composed of longitudinally extending interlocking piles, a top within said piles and slidably mounted therein, and means for expanding the guiding portion of' said top to form a sliding fit between the top and the piles.

6. A caisson comprising a driving portion, a. top slidably mounted therein, and having an expansible guiding portion.

7. A caisson comprising a driving portion, a top slidably mounted therein, and separate means for driving said top.

8. A caisson comprising a driving portion, a conical top sliding therein, a cylindrical guiding portion carried by said top and bearing on the interior of said caisson, and a pipe within the caisson and extending through said top.

9. A caisson comprising a driving portion, a conical top slidingl therein, and having a door, a Cylindrical guiding portion carried by said top and bearing on the interior of said caisson, and a pipe within the caisson and extending through said top.

10. A caisson comprising a driving portion, a conical top therein having a cylindrical guiding portion sliding on the inte'- rior of said caisson, a pipe extending through said top and having sliding engagement therewith, and a self closing door in said' conical top.

l1. A caisson comprising a driving portion, a conical top therein having a cylindrical guiding portion having limited sliding movement on the interior of said caisson, a pipe extending through said top and having sliding engagement therewith, and a self closing door in said conical top.

l2. A caisson comprising a series of interlocking piles arranged in cylindrical formation and adapted to be driven forward individually, each pile having a sheet metal sheath on its outer face with one end bent to form a cutting edge and the other end projecting rearwardly to form a tail.

13. A caisson comprising a series of interlocking piles arranged in cylindrical formation and adapted to be driven forward individually, each pile having a sheet metal sheath on its outer face with one end bent to form a cutting edge and the other end projecting rearwardly to form a tail and a closing top slidably mounted within said piles.

14. A caisson comprising a series of interlocking' piles arranged cylindrically, each with a driving head at its rear end and each pile having a sheet metal external sheath bent around the forward end to form a cutting edge and projecting rearwardly to form a tail.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JAMES C. MEEM.

Witnesses:

JAs. F. Cusrox, STEPHEN J. DUFFY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

